Weekend Planner: The Best Weekend Events For Families (September 14-16)

This brand new musical designed for young audiences follows Gertie and Larz as they try to save their community garden, which is slated for demolition. They especially can’t let cherry tree Sherry get taken down! See if the garden will be saved from turning into Mr. BigCheese’s vision—a new restaurant! gertiesgardenthemusical.com

The Brooklyn Book Festival claims the distinction of being NYC’s largest free literary festival—and the day prior to Sunday’s festivities is dedicated to all things kid-lit. The fest’s Children’s Day will feature acclaimed kids’ authors like Alexandra Penfold and Tad Hills, in addition to theatrical performances, an “Illustrator Smackdown,” workshops, picture book and young readers stages, and a Story Pirates show. This event will take place rain or shine. brooklynbookfestival.org

Rockaway Beach will be buzzin’ this Saturday during the 8th annual NYC Honey Fest! This year, this bee-utiful festival will feature honey tastings from local hives such as Andrew’s Honey, Astor Apiaries, Brooklyn Grange, Honey Gramz, and others. Activities for children include face painting, bee-hat and costume making, honey extraction demos, interactive activity stations, a honey-tasting contest, and a raffle. nychoneyweek.com

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Join other NYC families in Madison Square Park this Saturday for the park’s fourth annual performing arts fest for children! Throughout the day four stages will feature musical and theatrical performances, workshops, and storytelling for ages 0 through 12 and their families. Performers scheduled to appear include The Amazing Max, WonderSpark Puppets, Sammie and Tudie’s Comedy Magic Circus, LARD Dog & The Band of Shy, Mario the Maker Magician, the Kotchegna Dance Company, the Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre, and others. There will also be face painting, lawn games, and much more. Plus fill up on mouth-watering grub from local eateries. madisonsquarepark.org

iLuminate offers an experience that combines technology, music, and art. Follow a group of twentysomethings living in a city as they dance several styles including contemporary, pop and break. Dance is accompanied by popular and classic music from artists like Bruno Mars, Janet Jackson, and LMFAO. The Saturday performance is at 7:30pm, and the Sunday performance is at 4pm. schimmelcenter.org

Dance with the brand-new Disney Junior Dance Party On Tour, an interactive live concert that brings its greatest hits to kids of all ages (and their parents, of course!). All the kids’ favorite characters will make an appearance, including Mickey and Minnie, Muppet Babies, Vampirina, Doc McStuffins, and far more. Saturday has two shows at 1pm and 4:30pm, and Sunday has a show at 12pm. msg.com

All ages will enjoy the conclusion to New-York Historical Society’s Summer of Magic series. Harry Houdini—portrayed by Duffy Hudson—will be on hand to both meet kids and perform illusions. Learn Houdini’s life story and more! nyhistory.org

Are you considering adopting a pet? Here’s your chance! Meet wonderful cats, dogs, and even rabbits up for adoption at the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals’ Adoptapalooza in Union Square Park. This free event will feature activities such as pet care advice, training, grooming, product giveaways, microchipping, a Kids’ Korner, and much more. animalalliancenyc.org

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Kids of all ages will be awed by the plethora of motorcycle makes and models no longer in production. Motorcycles will compete for awards, and meanwhile, the fam can spend some of their time enjoying music, historic farmhouse tours, yummy bites, hayrides, and more. queensfarm.org

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Join Van Cortlandt Park for an afternoon of live bird demos and more during Raptor Fest. Visitors will have the opportunity to see owls, falcons, hawks, and other birds of prey up close during bird viewings and flight shows. The Urban Park Rangers will be on hand to answer questions and lead owl pellet dissections. nycgovparks.org

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